FAIRFIELD, Conn. – The Fairfield University Women's Soccer team is one step closer to accomplishing the goal they've been working towards all year long. The top-seeded Stags defeated the fifth-seeded Manhattan Jaspers 4-1 in the MAAC Semifinals, earning a spot in the MAAC Championship Match against second-seeded Quinnipiac on Sunday at noon. Sam Kersey scored twice for the Stags while Alex Darcy and Caroline Kelly both touched the back of the net.
 
"I thought it was a good performance and thought we played quite sharply for the most part," the MAAC Coach of the Year David Barrett said. "I thought the performance was really high level and I'm glad we played well in this moment."
 
The Stags will advance to the MAAC Championship match for the second-straight season and the 13th time in program history. Fairfield also earned their 17th victory of the season, one shy of tying the most in a single-season in school history. The Stags also extended their home winning streak to 15-straight matches, the longest in the nation.
 
Fairfield took just four minutes to break open the scoring as Kersey put a header over the Manhattan goalkeeper for her fourth score of the season. Fairfield would double their lead on another header off a corner as Kelly headed in the corner kick from Kendall Patten.
 
The only blemish on the Stags' night was giving up a penalty kick which Manhattan would convert to cut the lead in half. However, Fairfield added to their lead with a Darcy tapped-in goal towards the end of the first half. Kersey would put the match out of reach, bookending the scoring with a long-range shot into the upper right corner of the net.
 
The Stags' offense had a bunch of playmakers in the win as the team tallied seven assists. The MAAC Golden Boot winner Maddy Theriault picked up a pair of helpers while Kelly, Elle Scott, Patten, Ashlyn Walsh, and Allie Kirby also tallied assists.
 
Fairfield entered the match as the nation's leader with 21.3 shots per game and added to that total with 23 attempts compared to four for the Jaspers. Fairfield has now scored 51 goals this season, the fifth in program history they have reached the 50-goal mark in a season and the first time since 1998.
 
Theriault has now collected 77 points in her career and Scott recorded her 24th career assist moving her to fourth on the all-time list.
 
The Stags will now be looking for their first MAAC Championship since 2008 as they advance to the MAAC Championship match for the third time under Coach Barrett.
 
Fairfield will take on second-seeded Quinnipiac for the title on Sunday at 1pm.